January 6 was an appalling day, but rather than having some brief, appropriately solemn marking of the event, Democrats want to wallow in it and exploit it to the maximum extent possible.
Nancy Pelosi plans a moment of silence, a discussion by historians, member testimonials, and a prayer vigil, while Chuck Schumer hopes to use the anniversary to blow a hole in the filibuster to pass a partisan bill nationalizing elections. Per Politico Playbook:
Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER is expected to lay out a plan today that will bring the party’s push to nationalize voting rights protections to the floor in the coming days. All week, Democrats will argue that the flurry of voting restrictions that have passed in GOP-controlled states over the last year are a direct result of the Jan. 6 riots and the Big Lie promulgated by former President DONALD TRUMP — and that democracy is still very much on the line.
The bill will get filibustered by the GOP — just as it has time and time again.
Yet some Dems think that an argument pegged to Jan. 6 could win over Sinema and Manchin, the party’s two major holdouts against making an end run around the filibuster to pass the voting bill.
Schumer has signaled that when the bill goes down, he will open a debate about changing Senate rules to enable passage of voting measures without the chamber’s 60-vote threshold. That debate, however, could push into next week, as the party puts the squeeze on Manchinema.